When There's No Other Choice
by Pure-HP
Summary: They hate each other, she's a filthy Mudblood. He's a spoilt, cocky Slytherin bully. They know it, everybody else knows it. So why on Earth does he kiss her? HrD.
1. Attentions Diverted

**Disclaimer: **I own none of these characters so please don't sue.

**A/N: **another story from me, but don't worry, I have most of this one on paper so I will finish it.(I'll finish the other one's too). I have been writing this one during boring times at college and not even my best friends get to read it so consider yourselves lucky.

**Chapter 1; Attentions Diverted**

Hermione Granger, 5 foot 9 inches tall with golden brown hair and eyes to match walked down the corridor fulfilling her head duties. Sure she had changed but not so much that she had boys falling over themselves to ask her out. Not that she really cared, to be frank, she wasn't interested. She had all the right curves, she didn't care about that either.

Hermione was lost in her thoughts about schoolwork – as usual – when two Hufflepuff first years ran so fast in the opposite direction that they nearly bowled her over and to top it off, they didn't even say sorry. Didn't they even know good manners?

Attention diverted in her need to reprimand the children, she didn't realize anyone was in front of her until she had banged right into someone much taller and muscular than the first years. _Their eyes had widened in fear and they had beat a hasty retreat._

Apologizing, Hermione turned to look at the person that had nearly knocked her on her arse and fought to bite back a groan when she looked upon his face.

Draco Malfoy stood his ground, staring at her malevolently. His head boy badge glinting off the light thrown from the flame torch brackets hanging on the wall.

"Mudblood, I just had a bath." He snarled through gritted teeth.

"That is open for discussion." She retorted. "I know how much you love terrorising these children. Why you got made head boy I will never know. I'm just glad that I don't have to share a dormitory with you. I would love to stay here but the fact of the matter is…well…you bore me and I really can't be asked to play along with your childish games right now. I have places to be and more important people than yourself to spend time with. Go and scare someone who actually gives a flying…" Hermione wouldn't swear, but she also didn't get time to finish that taunt.

He grabbed her by the upper arms and pushed her against the stone, and quite rough, wall. Hermione's eyes widened a tiny bit but still she managed to retort. "Why Malfoy. Heads should know better than to display these types of _affections in public." She spat out the word 'affections'._

Malfoy grinned viciously, anger lacing his steel silver eyes and lowered his lips to hers.

*               *               *               *               *               *               *               *               *               *               *               *

TBC

**I know it's really short but hey, it's just the first chapter. I will update all my active stories this week (god is it gonna get confusing!). An I will post this next chapter either tomorrow or the day after.**

**Pure-HP**


	2. Confusion

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters. Wish I did.

**A/N: **I am sorry that this took me so long. I got lost for a long time. Trying to find myself again, now.

**Chapter 2: Confusions**

In the brief moment before their lips met, Hermione took a shallow breath and dimly registered the fact that her elbows were scraping against the rough, stone wall.

As their lips met, Hermione's mind went completely blank. It was a curious feeling, as she had never experienced such a moment of complete confusion and speechlessness as she did just then.

All of a sudden, thought, feeling and emotion rushed back to her. With it came a strange, tingling feeling, which originated from where hers and Malfoy's lips touched and coursed, violently, through her. All the way to the tips of her finger and toes.

Malfoy was moving his lips over hers, his arms on her forearms having not moved an inch. Without any conscious thought, Hermione kissed him back. He was powerful, and at over six foot, she had no chance of moving him. Her first coherent thought was that his lips were softer and warmer than she would have expected. The sensation coursing through her was still unbelievably strong. Her second coherent thought was that this was Draco Malfoy; hater of muggle borns, a Slytherin and a completely hateful person. Harry and Ron would undoubtedly disown her if they could see her. Well, maybe not Harry, but Ron certainly would.

Finding a strength she didn't know she possessed, Hermione shoved Malfoy back far enough to pull away and squeeze herself out from between him and the wall. She put a safe amount of distance between them as he turned to face her, his usual smirk, and a trace of the initial anger, firmly in place. However, she saw something flicker in his silver eyes.

Still shaking from the tingling that had rushed through her, Hermione looked contemptuously at him, "What on earth do you think you're doing? I'm a mudblood, remember?"

Malfoy's smirk didn't falter. Hermione turned and stalked back to the Gryffindor common room. As upset as she was by the whole, confusing situation, Hermione couldn't shake the feeling of loss from the tingling sensation and Malfoy's lips. That upset her the most.

She covered the distance back to the common room quickly and crashed through the common room unnecessarily loudly. Without stopping to see who was in the room, Hermione disappeared up the girls' staircase.

Harry Potter and Ron Weasley looked at their best friends' retreating back. Ron looked at Harry, "Hermione looks red."

Harry shrugged, "I'm guessing it has something to do with Malfoy. No one else will be out at this time."

"She can handle herself," Ron stated.

"It doesn't seem like she did," Harry mumbled. "Come on, homework or we're not allowed to sleep." He threw a look at the girls' stairs again. Ron grinned and returned to his parchment.

* * *

Hermione threw things around every which way in the search for her pyjamas. She cursed both silently and aloud as she went along. Lavender and Parvati watched her wordlessly. She got into bed and wrenched the curtains round her.

As she settled into bed, despair set in. Hermione didn't like not knowing the answer to things, and she couldn't explain what the tingling that had coursed through her was. Worst of all, she didn't know why she wanted Malfoy to kiss her again.

Sleep would be difficult to find tonight. The thought that kissing Malfoy again would betray not only her best friends, but also her whole house was flooding her with guilt. She tossed and turned a lot that night.

* * *

**I know this chapter seems more like a filler, but I feel that it's necessary for the progression of the story. See you soon.**

**Pure-HP**


	3. Working Together

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing… at all.

**Chapter 3: **Working Together

Harry and Ron were already in the Great Hall, eating breakfast, the following morning. Hermione had been awake for two hours, but had refused to get out of bed. Her guilt had plagued her all night. In her rational mind, she knew that nothing that had transpired between her and Malfoy, last night, was her fault. However, the feeling of guilt remained. She felt as though she was partly to blame, just because she had been present, and involved in the unwanted circumstances.

_It was unwanted, right, Hermione?_ A voice in her head asked.

She swore loudly as she sat down between her best friends. Harry and Ron looked at her, alarmed.

Ron patted her shoulder, uncertainly. "There, there, 'Mione. What's happened?"

Hermione shot a dark look at one of the gilded windows. She would have shot it at the Slytherin table, however, she had deliberately chose to sit at the right side of the table so that she would have her back to the whole, sorry lot of them. "Nothing's the matter, Ronald. I am just fine."

Ron raised an eyebrow at Harry. Both boys knew perfectly well, that when she used Ron's whole name, or Harry's middle name, she was mightily angry. Ron and Harry went through their most recent interactions with the head girl. As far as they could remember, they hadn't done anything that could have induced this reaction from her. Whatever was bothering Hermione, had to have happened during her patrol of the castle the previous night.

They both knew better than to ask her what the matter was. The best thing that they could do was to wait for her to speak to them. Ron offered her a croissant, which she snatched from him.

Harry popped her pumpkin juice in front of her, afraid that if he handed it to her, most of the juice would end up down the front of his clothes, if the treatment of the poor croissant was anything to go by.

Hermione gave a begrudging, "Thank you," To both of them. She didn't know why she was being so rude to them. She felt as though her brain was forcing her to punish herself for what had happened last night, by pushing her best friends away.

This didn't make any sense at all, however. She understood that phrase about how over thinking things never led to anything good, now.

Hermione sighed, shook her head and looked at her best friends. "I'm sorry. I'm alright. Honest. I've just had a bad night."

"Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"What?!" Hermione's eyes grew round with fear, before she could stop herself. Her head snapped round to look at Harry.

Harry's eyebrows drew together at Hermione's reaction and he frowned. "I meant that you were both on patrol of the castle last night." He scrutinised her. "Has something happened between you two?"

Hermione squared her shoulders and shook her head determinedly. "Nothing noteworthy or worth repeating."

She could tell that her response hadn't satisfied him. They finished their breakfast and stood up. Their first lesson of the day was Herbology. It was sure to be fun, considering that it was also with the Slytherins. In particular, a certain blond Slytherin.

* * *

All three Gryffindors walked into greenhouse three. They seemed to be the last ones to arrive. Hermione spotted Malfoy near the middle of the class. He had his usual band of Slytherins around him. He was talking to Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott.

Hermione's eyes narrowed as she watched him. He was completely ignoring her presence. Their arrival could not have gone unnoticed, especially considering how the greenhouse doors had banged behind them as they'd entered. He was acting like nothing had happened last night. He was, in fact, ignoring her entire existence.

As ashamed as she was to admit it, Hermione felt insulted. How dare he kiss her one day, and then treat her like she was invisible the next day. She did not like being used. The least he could do was spare her a glance and a smirk.

She waited… no, nothing.

She, Harry and Ron were in the process of finding an empty spot around the long tables when Pomona Sprout's loud cough stopped them in their tracks and attracted every student's attention.

The small, curly haired professor stood at the far end of the greenhouse. She waited expectantly, until she was sure that everyone was paying attention to her. Once she was sure that she had everyone's interest, she pulled off her hat, turned it upside down, and pointed her wand at the opening. She muttered an incantation and a deep, purple light shone out of the opening.

Every student craned their necks to see what she was doing. Herbology wasn't usually about spells and incantations. It was about plants and herbs. About growing ingredients which would later be used in potions.

Professor Sprout set the hat down, carefully, and began. "I have added half of the students in this class' names into this hat. The half who have not been added will come up to me, when I call your names. I need you to pick a name out of this hat. This student will be the person you will be working with for the rest of the year. Your job for this year will be to find, tend to, and grow Devil's Snare."

At the sound of the students groaning, Professor Sprout continued. "It is non-negotiable. I have set it this way, so that more able students will not immediately work with another able student. This will also stop friends from working with friends. We want unity between all houses and all students. This is how I and the other Professors have chosen to proceed."

She smiled a little. "Now, saying this, the hat is not bewitched to put you with a student from another house. The names of both Gryffindor and Slytherin students are inside the hat. The name you pick is up to you."

Professor Sprout waved her wand and a piece of paper appeared, out of thin air. She caught it and started reading the names off of it. "Neville Longbottom."

Hermione started to panic. Surely her luck couldn't be so bad. Surely she wouldn't have to work with Malfoy for a whole year! She wasn't paying attention to the names that were being called out. She was too busy trying to convince herself that there was a good chance that both of their names had been added. Or, that neither of their names had been added. Surely…

"Draco Malfoy." Professor Sprout called out.

Hermione's heart was thudding so hard that she was sure that everyone could hear it, even with all the whispering and twittering that the students were doing amongst themselves. She looked at Harry and Ron, not having realised that Harry's name had already been called.

Harry held out his paper to her, and she saw Ron Weasley written across it in bold ink.

Great, so her best friends were working together. She heaved another great sigh. Maybe the same would happen to her. Maybe she'd get somebody who actually liked her. Maybe she'd be working with a Gryffindor.

Hermione watched Malfoy pick his name out of the hat and read it. His expression was completely unreadable. She prayed with all of her heart as she trembled slightly. She wished that she hadn't had any breakfast. It was threatening to make a repeat performance. Hermione Granger hadn't felt this sick for a long while.

Time had slowed down. Each second took an eternity. She crossed her fingers behind her back as she waited for Malfoy to move back to his group of friends.

He did, but not before he raised his head, found her eyes and smirked a truly malicious smirk.

Professor Sprout looked at the piece of paper and confirmed Hermione's _current_ worst fear. "Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger."

It was in that instant that all sound ceased. It was like a fog had settled into Hermione's brain. She could hear nothing. She barely felt the sympathetic hand that Harry put on her arm. The only thing that she could see was Draco Malfoy, making his slow progress back to his friends. In actual fact, it wasn't slow at all; it just felt that way to Hermione.

She watched as he showed his piece of paper to his friends. Watched as they laughed and mocked.

Hermione didn't want to spend the whole year in such close proximity to someone she already had to share head duties with. They already had to consult each other on every decision made within the castle. Well, in regards to decorations and events being held, at least.

She paid no attention to the rest of the names called. What did they matter to her, anyway? This was turning out to be the worst, last year of school.

When everything had settled back down, Professor Sprout started again. "Now that everyone knows who they're working with, I need you all to leave this greenhouse and follow me into the Forbidden Forest.

The students gaped at their Professor. The forest was forbidden for a reason. Every student burst into protest at the same time.

Professor Sprout silenced them with a stern look. "You are all seventh years. You are perfectly capable of handling yourself. There is nothing in there that will harm you, as long as you know how to deal with it. And considering how you are all very capable students, you will be just fine."

They all followed Professor Sprout to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. She looked at them all. "Now I need you all to go inside and find Devil's Snare. You all should know what it looks like, by now. What you will need is the seeds that should be located at the heart of the plant. If you know how to defeat the plant, the task should be quite easy for you. I suggest you wear your gloves."

Before she turned back to her greenhouse, she finished with, "Oh, and you will be completing this task with your partner. Continue."

Professor Sprout knew that she had started something bad here, but there was no choice. Silly prejudices and petty squabbles had to be overcome if they were going to be successful after they finished their education at Hogwarts. It would be a more difficult year for some, than it would be for others.

Everybody joined up with their partners and entered the forest. At this moment, Hermione wasn't feeling too friendly toward her best friends. She knew that it wasn't actually their fault, but that didn't mean that she was thinking sensibly at this current time.

Harry and Ron looked at their best friend apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Hermione," Harry said, sincerely.

Hermione just sighed and shrugged. What else could she do? She couldn't change partners. She would just have to make the best out of the situation.

They entered the forest together; Harry and Ron.

"I don't believe in coincidences," Hermione muttered to herself.

The only people left at the edge of the forest were Hermione and Malfoy. He looked at her and smiled cruelly as he walked up to her. Hermione refused to budge or move away. He didn't stop until he was almost flush against her. There were barely a couple of millimetres between the pair of them.

Hermione could feel the heat radiating off of him as she started hard into his cold, silver eyes. She could smell newly cut parchment. She was quivering inside, but she'd be damned if she was going to let it show. She wasn't going to show _any_ weakness to this particular Slytherin.

His breath brushed against her face as he spoke. "Well, well, Granger. Looks like you and I are going to be closer than we thought, this year," The scent of his spearmint toothpaste, laced with something sweeter, fanned across her face. His words were tinged with steel. "Good luck."

Hermione could sense his unfinished '_You're going to need it'_, but she didn't retort as she watched him walk into the forest.

Draco Malfoy didn't scare her. He was no longer a coward, as he had been. She could still verbally rebuke him and put him in his place physically, as well; as long as wands were present. There was an underlying edge and meanness to him that hadn't been there when he was younger. Back then, he had been childish, unkind and manipulative. Now, there was something different there; something possibly worse.

Even then, he could never frighten her. What _did_ frighten her was what could happen to them now. In such close proximity. Her reaction to the kiss had been unexpected. It was unnatural to her, being something she had never experienced before - feelings that were alien to her.

She hated this, but she forced herself to put it all to the back of her mind. Her future and her education were at stake, here. She was not going to fail because of some damned budding Death Eater.

Squaring her shoulders, Hermione followed Malfoy into the Forbidden Forest.

* * *

**I love to write him as cruel, because, let's face it, he is. He's not soppy, or cheesy, or at all fluffy. If Draco Malfoy kissed Hermione Granger, there has to be a good reason for it.**

**Please review, and please don't flame.**

**Dina**


	4. Devil's Snare

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing.

**Chapter 4: **Devil's Snare

Hermione's robes snagged on protruding tree roots as she made her way though the Forbidden Forest. She was keeping a good distance from Malfoy and cursing whatever fates that had thrown them together. She was used to the Forest, having spent more time in it, in the last seven years, than was strictly appropriate; considering that it was forbidden for students to enter it.

She kept an eye out for Malfoy's blond hair. It ensured that she remained on the same route as him. She didn't want to get too close to someone who was clearly trying to provoke her. Six feet seemed like a good distance. Hermione noted that he didn't seem to be scared of the Forest anymore. He had spent the first fives years of their education unmistakeably afraid of the Forest that housed so many dangerous and mysterious creatures.

Sighing, Hermione craned her neck and turned slightly to the left, finding that sliver-blond hair again.

Before long, her attention was drawn to the leaf strewn floor and she saw a spider the size of a tennis ball. Maliciously hoping that Ron had run across the same thing, she carried on walking. They walked for what felt like an hour, still not coming across anything that even resembled Devil's Snare. They had lost sight of all of the other students a long while back.

Many times, Hermione opened her mouth to say something to Malfoy, but at the last moment, she thought better of it and closed her mouth. She just didn't currently have the energy to start a confrontation. He would probably just ignore her questions or input, anyway.

Scowling and looking away, Hermione suddenly spotted it. Inches away from her left foot, she saw the dangerous plant that could easily take the life of an unsuspecting person.

In the back of her mind, Hermione knew that she should call for Malfoy to come back. Inform him that she had found it. However, she was too distracted by her find, and a small, vindictive part of her didn't want him to claim the find for himself. He'd notice that she wasn't behind him, sooner or later… maybe. Probably not.

She inched closer to the plant and saw it moving in the light from her wand. They had wandered so deep into the Forest that it was essential to use the wandlight, or nothing would be visible. This was also the place that Devil's Snare was usually found; in the dark, dank corners of the world.

The plant did not like the light, as much it would not like fire. Hermione was contemplating how best to get the seeds. It wasn't going to be easy. Professor Sprout had said that the seeds lived in the heart of the plant. Without a defensive attack, it would not yield them easily.

Hermione considered lighting a fire. She was adept at conjuring up little bluebell flames that could be carried around in jam jars. However, she didn't have a jam jar with her and there was a chance that it may kill the plant if something went wrong, and she didn't want to have to go looking for another Devil's Snare. Who knew where another one could be.

"_Maybe this is why you should tackle this in pairs,"_ a snide voice responded.

"Shut up," Hermione said, aloud.

She preferred to work on her own, especially if the alternative was working with Draco Malfoy. He would probably think it was a good idea to push her into the plant and use her predicament as a distraction to get the seeds for himself. He may not even rescue her after the task was completed.

She moved her wand light over the plant and received a sudden, retaliatory swipe across her right cheek from one of the trailing vines. It stung and she felt a trickle run down her cheek; something that felt a lot like blood.

Hermione hissed at the hot pain and retreated a few steps in response. Maybe the flames weren't such a bad idea. The last time she had set a fire by Devil's Snare, the plant had withered and died. However, she didn't seem to have much of a choice. If it killed this one, she'd just have to find Malfoy and they would work together to get the seeds from the next plant they found, even if it killed her. Knowing her luck, it probably would!

Praying for a miracle, Hermione waved her wand and conjured the little blue flames onto a patch of the floor that was well away from the plant.

Picking them up with her bare hands would burn her, so she had to figure out another way to transport them. She wondered if they could be levitated. Deciding that it was worth a shot, she muttered Wingardium Leviosa and smiled with relief when the flames rose into the air.

She moved the flames high over the plant and lowered them slowly, hoping that the buds in the middle would show themselves and she could grab the seeds quickly.

Hermione held her breath as she lowered the flames, millimetre by millimetre. She smiled again as she saw the vines scattering. It was going to work. The centre of the plant was becoming more visible as the vines moved away from the menacing flames and heat.

So distracted was she by the job at hand, that she didn't realise that anything was wrong until she felt her body connect with the hard, compact earth. She let out a short, sharp shriek as both of her elbows hit the floor, hard, and her wand flew out of her hands. The bluebell flames soaring away from the plant and landing, harmlessly, too many feet away to help her.

Vines from the plant had begun to crawl up her body, from her ankles. She hadn't noticed the vines creeping across her shoes and ankles until that moment. They dragged her even further away from her wand and the only salvation she had. By now, Malfoy would be too far away to have heard the yell that had escaped her as she had fallen.

Hermione thrashed around for a whole twenty seconds, before she remembered that the more you fought Devil's Snare, the tighter it would wind around you, before it suffocated you to death. In her panic, she had completely forgotten about that interesting fact.

She relaxed and did the only thing she could think of, she yelled, "Help! Help me! Is anybody there?!"

There was so much rustling in her ears, that Hermione couldn't have heard anything, even if she tried her hardest to. The panic was creeping through her veins again, and clouding her brain. It took all of her self control not to start thrashing and struggling again.

The tendrils were now crawling past her hips and up her chest, pressing in tighter and tighter all the while. Her lungs were starting to burn as that familiar sensation of being suffocated overtook her. Her heart felt as if it had swelled to double its original size as it struggled to keep beating.

Her arm was still stretched out, above her head; trying to reach her wand, which was just too far away to save her. The damned thing was of no use. The wand light had also gone out as it had fallen to the floor. The plant was happy now. It was in control.

Hermione's vision started to darken around the edges. Her panic was past bursting point, but the tendrils had now reached her neck. She couldn't move an inch.

She was just on the brink of unconsciousness when her world exploded.

The whole area was suffused in bright white light. Everything stood out in sharp relief. Hermione had to close her eyes against the throbbing glare from it. She felt as though a heart was beating somewhere in the region of her brain.

She heard a bellowed spell, the swishing of the plant's vines through the air, and a lot of crashes and thumps. The ground shook and Hermione screwed her eyes closed through it all. She was trying to save her sight as well as hoping that it would all end quickly. Tears had squeezed themselves out of her eyes as her breathing had slowed and the pain had increased from the constricting plant.

Then, suddenly, miraculously, the pain lessened. The tendrils retreated slowly and then, finally, they fell away. The bright light died away from behind her eyelids.

Hermione took big, gasping breaths as the blood and oxygen raced through her body again. Her entire being cried out in happiness. She felt like she was being born again. She opened her eyes slowly and saw her wand. At that moment, all she wanted was to reach her wand. She was never going to let go of it again.

Hermione inched towards it slowly, taking into account her still recovering body. When she finally had a grip on it, she pushed herself up onto her knees and looked up into the eyes of the person who had just saved her life… probably. Her damn Gryffindor pride wouldn't let her fully admit that the person had saved her life.

Her eyes connected with a pair of furious, silver eyes.

Thinking, _"oh shit_,_"_ Hermione closed her eyes and stood up. How was she supposed to thank Draco Malfoy for saving her life? He was standing there, wand painting at the floor of the Forest; clearly livid.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Malfoy was yelling at her.

Hermione was too stunned to comprehend the reality, for a moment. As much of a vile toad as the Slytherin was, he had never actually yelled at her, in all the seven years that she had known him. She stared at him. "Excuse me?"

"I asked you what the hell you were doing." His voice raised a few octaves. "What on earth made you think you could contend with a fully grown Devil's Snare all by yourself?"

Hermione bristled. She would not stand being shouted at like that. "I am perfectly capable of doing the work assigned to me!"

Malfoy sneered at her. "Clearly, you're not." He advanced on her. "That thing would have killed you if I had not seen your stupidity and come after you. What would have happened to you if I had not happened by?"

Hermione felt a tidal wave of both shame and anger wash over her. She didn't need to be told that she'd acted foolishly by him.

He carried on, before she had a chance to defend herself. "The assignment was for both of us to get the seeds together. There is a reason why even seventh years have to do it in pairs." His tone lowered to a growl which was just as intimidating and just as powerful as his yell. "Or, did little-miss-perfect Hermione Granger think that she was far too clever and far too important to follow simple instructions? Just because people tell you that you're the best and brightest witch to walk under the infamous enchanted ceiling in centuries, you thought you'd test it and see if you could do what other people cannot."

Hermione's ears felt hot and her hands tingled. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been reprimanded like this. It stung worse that it was Draco Malfoy doing the reprimanding, and that he was right. Still, she advanced on him, sparks flying from her lowered wand. "It was an accident."

Malfoy scoffed. "No, it wasn't. You didn't want any help. You wanted to do it all by yourself. Always so eager to show everybody else up. You think that being Harry bloody Potter's friend makes you invincible; untouchable. Understand this," His eyes flashed, "it doesn't."

Hermione wiped the tears off her cheeks. She hadn't realised that they were still there. "What the hell does it matter to you?! One less Mudblood on this planet is sure to be a good thing, right? Especially this one." She indicated herself.

Malfoy's expression turned as hard as stone. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about."

He reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a small, stoppered container. He threw it at her and walked away from her and the clearing.

Hermione caught it with reflexes she wasn't aware that she possessed; especially as it was as dark as night in the clearing. She held her lit wand tip to the container and saw what were unmistakably Devil's Snare seeds.

He must have gotten the seeds before or after he'd saved her. That fact was going to gall her for a long while.

* * *

By the time Hermione found her way out of the Forest, the lesson was almost over. She had time to hand the seeds to Professor Sprout, with her and Malfoy's name on the container. She didn't see Malfoy for the remainder of the lesson and she had the distinct feeling that he hadn't hung around to make idle chit-chat with anybody before heading back to the castle.

If she didn't know better, Hermione could have sworn that she had hit a nerve with him. She didn't understand him. First he kissed her and then made it clear that he still hated her. Then, he saved her from a homicidal plant before getting angry at her for putting her own life in jeopardy. Hermione would die before she let anyone know about what had just transpired in the Forest.

Hermione had a feeling that he was keeping something from her.

A voice inside her head mocked her, _"Be realistic, Hermione. He's more than likely keeping a Hippogriff's load of information from you." _And yet, she was mortified to find that even after how he had treated her, Her thoughts kept returning to the kiss he had given her. Still…

Hermione was desperately worried about her own sanity, and anxious that she may be under some curse.

* * *

**Oh, he gives me chills. Thank you for reading. Please read and review. It encourages me to update quicker.**

**No flames, please.**

**Thank you,**

**Dina. x**


End file.
